Prayers in times of distress

"Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven . . ." Lamentations 3:41 NKJV

"Unto Thee I lift up mine eyes . . . " Psalm 123: 1 KJV

The following passages tells us to turn to Adonai Yehovah, Our Father in Heaven, in times of distress:

Lamentations 2:19 NKJV
“Arise, cry out in the night,
     At the beginning of the watches;
Pour out your heart like water
     before the face of the Lord.
Lift your hands toward Him
     For the life of your young children,
     Who faint from hunger at the head of every street.”

Lamentations 3: 40, 41 NKJV
Let us search out and examine our ways,
     And turn back to the LORD; (Yehovah)
Let us lift our hearts and hands
     To God in heaven.

Psalm 123: 1, 2
Unto You I lift up my eyes,
     O You who dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
     As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
     Until He has mercy on us.

Sunday, 20191201
Wesley Methodist, Kampar.

Why did Israel ask for a king?

Why did Israel ask for a king?

26 May 2019 09:30 hrs
Reading from 1 Samuel chapter 8.

Introduction

Samuel failed to discipline his sons and to bring them up uprightly. His sons, Joel and Abijah, took bribes and lived corruptly. Yet he appointed them as judges over Beersheba.

As a result of these corrupt judges, the people of Israel came to see Samuel and demanded that a king be appointed over them.

1 Sam 8:4,5 KJV Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

This was the first reason why Israel wanted a king.

However, this wasn't a good reason. For by demanding that a king be appointed over them, Israel forgot that they had rejected a much higher King who was already ruling over them.

That King was the Lord YeHoVaH himself!

1Sam 8:6,7KJV But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

There was also a second, and perhaps a more pressing reason why Israel wanted a king. This reason can be seen in their reply to Samuel after he had cautioned them and warned them about the oppression that they would suffer from a human king.

1 Sam 8:19,20 KJV Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.

It is obvious from this passage today, that Israel's demand for a king was also because they wanted to "be like all the nations" around them. They were falling into a temptation, to be conformed to his world.

Instead of remaining steadfast as a people of the Lord YeHoVaH, they wanted to follow they ways of the gentile nations.

They have rejected YeHoVaH.

Today we continue to face the same temptation to be conformed to the world around us.

One of the most common temptation is the urge to adopt the "contemporary" practices of the world, from contemporary songs to contemporary styles of worships to contemporary sermons from the pulpit.

We must bear in mind that when we fall into unguarded adoption of contemporary practices, we are conforming to a temporary way of living.

Like Israel asking for a "contemporary" king, that they also may be like all the nations around them, the adoption of so called contemporary practices makes us fall into the error of forsaking YeHoVaH our eternal King.

Asking for an electrician

Luke 11:5-6 NKJV

Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;

Luke 11:11-12 NKJV

If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

Wednesday 27/2/2019:
I had been praying for a way to call an electrician to repair a faulty backyard light, both yesterday on the long train journey home as well as this morning while driving home after my morning walk at the Rakan Muda Sports Complex.

Then just after I arrived for breakfast at Golden Castle, an acquaintance called Yip, one of the three "Great Wall Band" brothers who performed at my daughter's wedding dinner four years ago, came over to my table to say hello.

I was surprised by that gesture because the brothers usually appear rather quiet and somewhat taciturn at other times.

For a while I wondered whether Yip needed a favour from me, but he didn't. We just exchanged pleasantries, asked about each other, what we're doing etc

Then it occurred to me that he might know an electrician who can come to my house to fix the broken light.

So I asked him if he knew any electrician in town because the one I know is always busy and it's hard for me to get him.

He managed to get a phone number for me from another friend of his

Just now I called the electrician at lunch  after visiting my mother in Ipoh, and he agreed to come over in a day or two.

He told me he is busy today, took down my address and said he'll call me back when he's free. I told him that I'm not in a hurry, that he can calk me back tomorrow.

Hopefully he can get it done soon.

Update, Thursday morning 28/2, the electrician, who introduced himself as Ah Seong, called and subsequently came over to replace the broken light.

The Lord provides again. Thanks be to God through Our Lord Yesu the Anointed One.

The Lord's Prayer according to St Luke

Luke 11:1-4 RBV

In Luke 11:3 the disciples were taught to say, "Give us day by day our daily bread" in contrast to Matthew's account, Matt 6:11, "Give us this day our daily bread"

-->  We can ask Our Father In Heaven to provide for our daily needs everyday, in contrast to asking for "this day" or today as recorded in Matthew.

Also in Luke 11: 4b, the disciples were taught to say, "And do not lead us into temptation (this word  πειρασμόν is also translated as "trials" or "testing" in James 1:12 and 1Peter 4:12)

Some translations, including the Revised Berkeley version that I'm reading this morning, adds "but deliver us from the evil one".

--> We can pray for deliverance from Satan, the Devil himself, not just from some evil circumstances, set-backs or difficulties.

So the next time we say the Lord's prayer in our own quiet time, we can pray,

    Give us each day our daily bread

And also

    Deliver us from the Evil One.

Thanksgiving: public toilets at Kampar Railway Station

I had to use the public toilets about 25 minutes before the train arrives, quite reluctantly because it's narrow, dirty and smelly.

Prayed for God's providence as I walked down the corridors leading to the toilet, particularly about finding a space to put my heavy backpack in the damp, narrow cubicle.

Well, I wondered if my prayer would make any difference at all!

On entering the toilet there was a notice pasted on the door of the WC saying "ROSAK. Sila Guna tandas OKU . . ."

At first I was thinking it might be the will of the Lord that I should use the toilet on board the train, which again I'm not too keen about.

Then as I passed by the OKU toilet I noticed that it was clean, dry and very spacious indeed. I could put my bag down safely in a clean place.

Praise the Lord. He has indeed ordered circumstances for me even before I stepped into Kampar Railway Station this morning.

In everything give thanks to our Father in Heaven, throughout Our Lord Iesou the Anointed One.